My Herbs 1

THE SECRETS OF TEA
Tea is one of the most popular beverages in the world. It is
delicate and refreshing, and, what’s more, it’s healthy. In its
pure form, tea has minimal nutrient value; all the calories
are added with sugar or milk.
Green tea
The origin of the word chai comes
from a Chinese word or, more precisely,
from a Chinese symbol “tu”
(tchu) and later “jia” (tia). “Jia” later
developed into “cha” (ch’a) and gave
birth to the word "chai," in use in
many countries today.
It is said that tea was discovered about
5,000 years ago by legendary Chinese
emperor Shennong. It didn’t reach Europe
until the 17th century, however,
when it was first brought by sailors
working for the East India Company.
After their long voyages overseas, they
were returning home with tea leaves as
presents for friends.
Tea became particularly popular in
England, where about 500 tea-shops
served the beverage to tea lovers in
1700. During this era, the popularity
of tea even surpassed alcoholic beverages,
and the sales of alcohol decreased
considerably for a long period
of time.
What are the secrets
of tea?
BASIC COMPOSITION:
CAFFEINE – increases alertness,
causes rapid heartbeat, and improves
breathing through the expansion of
bronchial tubes. A typical cup of tea
90 MY HERBS MAGAZINE